Sony Bravia XBR KDL-52XBR4 52" 1080p LCD HDTV (Review)
Sony Bravia XBR KDL-52XBR4 52" 1080p LCD HDTV
| Average Customer Rating: 5.0 | ||||
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| The Sony BRAVIA XBR KDL-52XBR4 52-inch 1080p LCD Flat Panel HDTV continues Sony's tradition of making outstanding televisions, and with a 52-inch screen, you'll be the envy of all your neighbors. Sony does not hold back with any technologies, and the XBR series is its flagship line--so with the XBR, you know you'll get the best quality home theater experience available.
The XBR KDL-52XBR4 is a 1080p television with a full 1920 x 1080 resolution, the highest resolution available for the sharpest, clearest picture. The KDL-52XBR uses the most recent HDMI 1.3 interface, which houses both audio and video signals in one connector and has the bandwidth to support the data needed for the high resolution. Sony's Bravia Engine Pro Full Digital Video Processor upconverts all video signals to 1080p so you can watch all your old DVDs on this glorious display. Sony complements the high resolution with the latest technology in color reproduction. The KDL-52XBR is a 10-bit display with 10-bit processing. Most panels are only 8-bit. The added bit depth here means a larger color palette for more faithful color reproduction and smoother transitions from one color to the next. Additionally, the display also supports the new x.v.Color standard, which dramatically increases the available color space. The end result is a picture that is so detailed, colorful, and vibrant, you'd have a hard time distinguishing it from real life. The KDL-52XBR4 features Sony's Motionflow technology, which automatically adjusts for and applies the proper processing for optimal motion reproduction depending on the video input. This includes support for 24 frames per second (24p) video, which displays video content at the 24-frames-per-second rate at which it was originally filmed or recorded. With 24p, you get the most faithful possible reproduction of the original. A Wide Variety of Inputs Stunning Looks Outstanding Ergonomics and Simplicity of Control More Than Just a Television The KDL-52XBR4 is backed by a 1-year limited warranty for parts and labor.
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What's in the Box
KDL-52XBR4 52-inch LCD flat panel HDTV, remote control, 2 AA batteries, AC power cord, operating instructions, quick setup guide, warranty card, table top stand, and support strap.
-fantastic overall picture quality
-great color/contrast/black level
-120hz MotionFlow can be a plus depending on source/personal taste
-good speakers
-good build quality
-no glare, great performance in daylight
Brand comparison:
We spend a long time comparing the Samsung xx71 and Sony XBR4. Samsung is consistently cheaper and for some offer better value. But Sony's image/color processing seems superior even after my attempts to equalize the settings in the stores.
Sony (+): Better dark details (Samsung's dark contrast is pretty bad despite maxing out brightness), no glare on screen surface = key for daytime sports, better/accurate color reproduction (natural and soothing to look at for hours, but capable of vivid colors/contrast with adjustment), much better speakers, better 120hz technology.
Samsung (+): cheaper, swivel stand, the boasted high contrast ratio sounds good but black detail is lost and a shiney screen is needed. Samsung's color processing tends to exaggerate colors/contrast, which some might prefer.
LCD vs plasma: I have to admit we didn't consider the Pioneer's due to $$$$. The other plasmas including the Panasonic actually looked worse and I could not perceive a noticeable black level surperiority. I guess despite plasmas having the best black level, it's still not truly black. Unless the sales people sabotaged all the plasma's settings to push LCD's, the newest top tier LCD's look better next to these plasmas. So, we went with the LCD because the Sony fared well in these areas of perceived LCD weaknesses:
-Black level: Black level is pretty darn good even in a dark room, will not distract in dark scenes. The great contrast helps your eyes overcome that. For example, does the black text on white background that you read on a LCD monitor appear gray? No, because your eye/brain is most concerned with the contrast.
-Motion blur: there is still some, but the 120Hz motionflow eliminates that and works pretty well for most sources. Set on HIGH some scenes does look somewhat artificial. The unexpected effect of 120Hz is that images look very "life-like" or "3D", I think because the images are refreshed at 120 instead of 60 (although some claim this panel is always 120Hz regardless of Motionflow setting).
-Power/burn-in: Currently, LCD's still consume less power, not prone to burn-in's. New plasmas less prone but would you experiment?
So, this is why we went with the Sony and so far no regrets despite the the dent in the wallet.
We continue to be amazed by this tv. The clarity and brightness is beyond belief. It is everything advertised and more. It must be seen to believe.
I returned Samsung FPT5084 because of the buzzing noise it makes and got this Sony instead. The Sony has amazing pictures especially when playing blu ray movies. TV setup is easy and works perfectly with 1080p, 1080i or 720p signals. There is a white flashing line on the top sometimes when I get 480i analog signals, but that's not a problem since I watching almost all digital channels.
The reasons I didn't give it a 5 star are:
1. Price: very expensive.
2. No swivel base.
3. No USB or SD card input.
The comparable much cheaper Samsung has all three, but Samsung picture is not quite as good.
